Summary:
The city of La Plata, Missouri is home to two schools: La Plata Elementary and La Plata High, both part of the La Plata R-II school district. While the schools share some similarities, they also exhibit distinct strengths and areas for improvement.
La Plata Elementary stands out for its strong performance in mathematics, with 73.8% of 4th graders proficient or better on the MAP assessment, significantly higher than the state average of 44.4%. However, the school lags behind in English Language Arts for 3rd grade. In contrast, La Plata High boasts an impressive 100% four-year graduation rate, an excellent outcome for the school. Yet, the high school underperforms the state average in mathematics for 7th and 8th grades, as well as in Biology I and Algebra I end-of-course exams.
Both schools face the challenge of high chronic absenteeism rates, at 18.8%, which is concerning and may impact student learning and achievement. Additionally, the difference in spending per student, with La Plata High spending more ($12,615) compared to La Plata Elementary ($10,677), is an interesting finding that warrants further investigation. The relatively low student-teacher ratios at both schools, 8.7 and 8.5 respectively, suggest a focus on smaller class sizes, which can be beneficial for student learning.
Thank you for your feedback!